randalx261tgf@outlook.com

因為事情沒有按我的意思進行，我便用傷人的話責難了我的丈夫。聖靈用聖經經文提醒我，我的態度是有罪的，但我卻置之不理。為了維護我倔強的自尊心而傷害我的婚姻，或不順服上帝，值得嗎？完全不值得。等到我開口請求上帝和丈夫的原諒時，我已經造成了許多傷害。這是我忽視明智忠告的後果，是我這種隨心所欲，我行我素的生活態度所造成的。

以色列人也曾經懷著悖逆的態度。當摩西死後，約書亞帶領以色列人進入應許之地。在他的領導下，以色列人都事奉耶和華（士師記2章7節）。但在約書亞及與他同一世代的人死後，以色列人便忘了上帝，以及上帝為他們所行的事（10節）。他們離棄上帝，並行祂眼中看為惡的事（11-15節）。

每當上帝興起一個士師如君王治理他們時，情況就會有所好轉（16-18節）。可是當士師死後，以色列人再次蔑視上帝，他們又隨心所欲、我行我素地生活，因此他們也遭受嚴重的後果（19-22節）。但我們不必重蹈覆轍。我們可以順從永恆的統治者耶穌的至高主權，我們受造便是為此，因為祂是我們永活的審判者和萬王之王。

After attacking my husband with hurtful words when a situation didn’t go my way, I snubbed the Holy Spirit’s authority as He reminded me of Bible verses that revealed my sinful attitudes. Was nursing my stubborn pride worth the collateral damage in my marriage or being disobedient to God? Absolutely not. But by the time I asked for forgiveness from the Lord and my spouse, I’d left a wake of wounds behind me—the result of ignoring wise counsel and living as if I didn’t have to answer to anyone but myself.

There was a time when the Israelites had a rebellious attitude. After the death of Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land. Under his leadership, the Israelite’s served the Lord (Judg. 2:7). But after Joshua and the generation that outlived him died, the Israelites forgot God and what He’d done (v. 10). They rejected godly leadership and embraced sin (vv. 11–15).

Things improved when the Lord raised up judges (vv. 16–18), who served like kings. But when each judge died, the Israelites returned to defying God. Living as if they didn’t have anyone to answer to but themselves, they suffered devastating consequences (vv. 19–22). But that doesn’t have to be our reality. We can submit to the sovereign authority of the eternal Ruler we were made to follow—Jesus—because He is our living Judge and King of Kings.